


Far From You

by JustCallMeGirlFriday



Series: Life is a mess [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-04
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-20 07:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustCallMeGirlFriday/pseuds/JustCallMeGirlFriday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily does end up leaving the BAU after the case in "In Birth and Death", she doesn't transfer to the State Department like she planned. She manages to leave Washington D.C. Before the team were even aware that she had officially quite. How far will Hotch go to find Emily and bring her back to the team? Will she be convinced that she was truly wanted and forgiven for her hand in Strauss's plan on ridding the BAU of Hotch.</p><p>She feels guilty for allowing Strauss to manipulate her. She feels that the team blames her for what she did to Hotch. She had actually stopped all communications with her mother, because she didn't want anyone to find her.</p><p>EPISODE BASED ON: "In Birth and Death"</p><p>SONG LYRICS: "Far Away" Nickle back</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

Aaron just stared Erin in the eyes waiting for the woman to speak, Erin opened her mouth when there was a knock on the door and he turned his head to face Emily Prentiss who had walked in.

"Sorry to interrupt." She said looking at Erin and than turned to look at him. "Sir, I've decided to resign from the FBI, effective immediately."

Aaron's heart dropped but he didn't show it. "I don't understand."

"I'm taking a Foreign Service exam."

Strauss who was sitting behind her desk remind silent but kept her eyes firmly on Emily's face, but she kept Aaron's face in her line of vision also.

"With my connections, I stand a good chance of landing in the State Department." Emily was still speaking in a mono toneless voice.

"Prentiss, I think that's a mistake." Aaron said in an equal mono toneless voice. He hated that he had to sound like this to one of his team mates, to one of his family. But he was at the office and too Emily Prentiss – he was her boss. Not friend, not truly family but boss. He had to remain professional.

"Well, don't try to talk me out of it." She said looking into his eyes. "Garcia saw my name on the list and already tried." She chuckles wryly. "If she can't talk someone out of doing something, no one can."

Aaron's eyes slide over to Strauss. He watched as Emily glanced at Strauss and than back at him. He had turned his eyes off of Erin and back on Emily by this time.

"Sorry for the interruption." Emily said and turned and headed for the door. She stopped and turned around. "But, Sir, it's good to see you back. The team needs you." She looked back over at Strauss. "Ma'am." She turns and leaves the office.

A/N: I have to break in that I taken every spoken line word from word from the transcript of the episode "In Birth and Death".

Aaron turned his full gaze back at Erin with a knowing look on his face.

"Looks like I have two places to fill instead of one," Erin's right eye brow lifted. "Or is it three now."

Aaron didn't brother to answer.

Suddenly the scene faded and another scene took it's place.

Aaron stands out side a apartment door and raised his hand and knocked firmly. His hand dropped as he waited for the person on the other side to unlock the bolts and open the door to him. "Can I come in?" He didn't even brother to say hello. The person stepped aside and he walked in. He heard the door close as he turned around to face the person. The team needs us. They're working on a case in Milwaukee." He liked the song that was playing on the CD player. He recozined it as Far Away by Nickle back.

Emily walked to the CD player and turned the music off. She kept her back to Aaron. She was nerves because this was the first time that he had been in her apartment. He was actually the first person from the team to visit her.

"Gideon hasn't shown up, and don't tell me you quit or I put in for a transfer." Aaron said to her back.

Emily turned around quickly and stared at him. "You put in for a transfer?"

"They're both still hung up in the system, so technically we're in dereliction of duty by not being there." Aaron said still in his professional voice.

"I'm sorry, I can't go." Emily said staring at Aaron with no feelings in her eyes or emotion in her voice.

"Right. Sorry I barged in." Aaron turned and headed to the door.

"Wait. Wait." Emily spoke before she thought. "Can I ask – why are you really here?" Some emotion enters her voice.

Aaron lingers in the kitchen. "I told you."

Emily waited for a fuller answer than that.

"I think Strauss came to you and asked for dirt on me." Aaron finally relented.

"Why would she do that?" Emily asked looking steady into Aaron's eyes.

"I think if you have your eyes on top leadership at the FBI, you want to know who might stand in your way." Aaron said mono tonelessly.

"And ... what could I have told her?" Emily asked in a steady voice.

"That one of my agents might have murdered a suspect in cold blood. Or another might have a serious drug problem which I didn't report, and if Strauss had any evidence, my career would be over. I think she put you on our team and expected something in return. And to your credit, you quite rather than whisper in her ear." Aaron said looking into Emily's eyes.

"I told you. I hate politics." Emily said looking steady into Aaron's eyes not breaking eye contact.

"Come to Milwaukee. I'll make you a deal. If your ready bag isn't here, packed, I won't bug you anymore. If it is, I want you on that plane with me. One more case." Aaron said folding his arms across his chest.

Emily sighed. "I already turned in my badge and gun." She tried to come up with a reason for not going, even through she was desperate to get back with the team, and she knew Hotch knew it.

"That's just hardware." Aaron said.

A/N: Once more breaking in: The spoken lines are taken word for word from the transcript of "Birth and Death".

Emily continued to look steady in Aaron's eyes and she nodded firmly and walked past him and went to where she kept her bag. Aaron followed her and watched as she opened her closet door and lifted a bag out. She turned around as she shouldered her bag. "Let's go."

Aaron turned and opened the door.

The scene faded and another scene quickly took it's place.

"Let me go in alone. The boy's in the family room. He'll answer the door." Emily said looking at the house and than over at Aaron.

"No." Erin said in a deadly voice.

"We need to get invited in that door. He's looking for female authority figures. If he lets me in, I can signal as soon as I see anything that gives us cause." Emily said still looking at Aaron.

"Technically, you're not even in the FBI." Aaron watched as Emily turned her eyes to Erin as Erin spoke.

"All the better." Aaron said. He moved to get the panic button out of the SUV. Derek reached down to get his spare gun in his ankle holster.

"She's interfering with a federal investigation." Erin said in a rant.

Emily turned and looked Erin fully in the face, "Well, if I'm no longer in the FBI, then you have no authority over me. I'm just a civilian knocking on a little boy's door."

Derek handed over his gun, "Prentiss."

Emily takes the gun and nod, "Thank you." She tucked it in her pants under her shirt.

Aaron sets the beeper. "As soon as you have probable cause, give us a signal and get out of there.

Emily takes the beeper and nods. "Okay." She goes towards the house. Aaron watched as Morgan goes as her back up, he turns to face Erin who had crossed her arms and was glaring at him.

"Nobody knows better than me that we need to make this arrest legal."

A/N Once more a break in and yes every spoken word is taken word for word from the transcript of "Birth and Death".

The scene fades and another scene quickly takes it's place.

As soon as Emily's signal came and she herself didn't leave the house Aaron knew that it had been a major mistake on allowing her into that house. He was cursing himself as he rushed towards the front door of the house with his gun raised. He quickly made his way to the basement door which was open, once he reached the bottom step he saw the trouble that Emily was truly in. She had blood running down the side of her face, the unsub had her in his arms and his son was holding Morgan's gun straight at her. His father was telling his son to pull the trigger and kill her.

As soon as he made himself known the boy turned around quickly and aimed the gun at him, Aaron breathed a little easier now that Emily wasn't in danger of being shot to death, now all he had to do was get the unsub to let his hands off of Emily. He didn't lower his gun, he kept it aimed on David, he looked up and saw the unsub let Emily go and back up.

The boy backs away from him.

"Drop the weapon, son." Aaron said in a voice that reserved for little kids who unfortunately turned into unsubs. He continued to move forward. "Give me the gun."

He knew that Morgan had entered the basement and had his own gun on the unsub.

"Don't be scared." Aaron said as he finally reaches Emily and reached down and pulled her to her feet and pulled her behind him. He knew that David would give up the gun so he kept his hand on Emily to make sure that she didn't fall.

A/N The spoken words were taken word for word from the transcript of "Birth and Death".

The scene quickly fades and another scene quickly takes it's place.

Aaron walked over to the open ambulance where Emily was getting the cut on her head tended to. "How's your head?"

"I'll live. Is it weird I'm glad to be back?" Emily looked slightly up at Aaron.

"I'll make sure it stays official." Aaron said in a steady voice. Emily nods and he turns and goes back to work.

A/N The spoken words were taken word for word from the transcript of "Birth and Death".

Aaron Hotchner sighed deeply as he stared at the wall across from his bed and simply shook his head. He couldn't believe that Emily had actually left the team. Not only the team but Washington D.C completely. It had only been a few months since Emily had looked in his eyes and said that she was actually happy being back with the team. What had changed from than to now.

Things had returned normally when the team came back to the office - better than normal actually because he and Emily finally started to relax around one another. They had started to trust one another. They had no secrets from one another. So what had happened to cause Emily to leave the team and her home. As far as he knew Strauss wasn't trying to compromise Emily any longer. But he would check into that matter the following day. Erin had taken a month off for some family issues, her first day back was the following day.

Aaron sighed as he thought of how shocked Gracia was when she had walked into his office a few weeks back and told him that Emily had quite. He had just looked at her like she was kidding until he read the truth. He asked how come she didn't stop the resigned and Gracia told him that he told her that she couldn't do that any longer. He had sighed and gone back to his paper work and he heard Gracia softly say "I'm sorry, Sir." Before she left his office. He lifted his head and stood to his feet and was about to leave his office to go to Erin's when he suddenly remembered that she was off on family issues for a month. He sat back down and he stared at his desk.

He had gone into the conference room and stiffly told the rest of the team that Emily had quit and that it was final this time. He had taken in the shock and disappointment in his teams eyes. He simply took his seat and nodded for JJ to began filling them in on the newest case that needed them to solve. Life at the BAU continued. As always. As it had too. No matter what. But still everyone in that room felt the lose of a valued team mate and confusion.

Aaron had driven to Emily's apartment to demand to know why she had after the team had landed. But her neighbor had told him that she had moved out three days previous and didn't leave a forwarding address. He had gotten on the phone with her mother and he was surprised that she hadn't heard from her daughter in two weeks. She did tell him that Emily had stopped by her empty office and left her cell phone on her desk. Aaron than knew that Emily was running away. But from what? From who?

Aaron's brown eyes came to life as he sat up in his bed. He was going to find Emily and bring her back to the BAU and back home. Even if he died trying. He wasn't going to lose another member of his family. Not this time. Not ever again. The mistakes end here and now.

END OF PRELUDE


	2. The Search Is On

'This time, This place

Misused, Mistakes

Too long, Too late'

\-- Far Away – Nickleback

Hotch walked through his office door and turned and found Reid sitting in the chair that was close to the window. "Reid." He nodded.

"Where would you like me to start?" Reid looked up into his leaders eyes with open knowing brown eyes.

Hotch walked to his door and shut it, he turned around and faced the youngest member of his team. "From the beginning, when Emily first arrived." He said as he leaned against the door with his arms folded across his chest.

Reid nodded and sat up a little straighter, he knew that this was a long over due meeting between him and Hotch. A long over due much needed meeting. He raised his right hand and pushed it through his shaggy brown hair. "I didn't like Emily Prentiss." He said looking up to meet Hotch's eyes. "I was angry at her for taking Elle's place on the team. I was angry at her for taking Elle's desk."

Hotch nodded.

"But I would have been angry at anyone who took Elle's place, male or female." Reid said. He sighed. "That doesn't give me the right to write someone off before I got to know them."

Hotch nodded firmly as he walked over and sat down behind his desk. He leaned forward and folded his hands in front of him. Reid sighed deeply, "When I went though my – problems." He looked into his bosses eyes and Hotch knew that Reid still wasn't ready to vocally voice his drug problem. He kept his eyes firmly on the youngest member of the team.

"I didn't want anyone from the team to help me, and you all left me alone. To deal with things on my own. All expect Emily." Reid said still looking in Hotch's eyes. "I hated her for her caring about me."

He raised his right hand to stop Hotch from saying what was on his mind. He slightly shook his head. "I started to accept her in the family after I heard about how kind she was too JJ at the cabin when everyone else seemed to have been blaming her for my rushing off like I did. Only Emily seemed to know that JJ needed a shoulder to lean on – although JJ didn't accept it."

Spencer sighed as the picture of JJ came to his mind. He didn't realize that he started smiling a very sappy smile and his face soften into a young boyish look. He became lost in his thoughts of the woman whom had stolen his heart. Aaron was pleased with this as he always was – but he had more pressing things on his mind and heart at the moment, "Reid." He said in a harsh voice.

Reid snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Hotch in the eyes once more. "I have fully accepted Emily as part of the team and the family when I watched her at the hospital with JJ." His eyes gazed over once more – but he quickly snapped out of it with one firm look from Hotch. "I know you blame me for Emily leaving." He said in a soft voice.

Hotch sighed deeply, "I don't blame you Reid." He sighed deeply. "There's more to Emily leaving than your past attitude towards her." He said.

"Because she was going to dish some dirt on you too Strauss." Reid said with a knowing look on his face. He saw the surprise in Hotch's eyes. "The entire team knows, Hotch, we also know that Emily quite the first time so she didn't have to ruin your career."

Hotch leaned slowly forward, "Have you or anyone else on the team say anything to Emily? Or even hint anything?" he demanded in a hard voice.

Reid shook his head. "We never would." He shrugged his shoulders. "We have seen how stressed out and depressed Emily was during that case after her meeting with Strauss, we knew that something heavy was laying on her conscious. We weren't even all that surprised when JJ told us that Emily had resigned when we were flying with Strauss."

Hotch tilted his head to the side. "What had happened in the weeks before Emily quite and left her home?"

"Nothing. Everything was fine." Reid said.

"Everything wasn't fine, if it was than why did Emily quite and run away." Hotch said with a deep frown. Reid read how truly angry Hotch was by his brown eyes. "I don't know?" Reid softly said as he stood too his feet.

Hotch looked down and Reid knew the interview was finished, he walked to the door and with one last look at his boss he turned and left the office closing the door behind him.

II

JJ looked up at the knock on the door and she smiled softly at the sight of the hang dog look on Spencer's face. "Come in Spence." She knew that he had an interview with Hotch and it looked like it didn't go real. Not real at all. She watched as the genius walked into her office and stopped before passing the door his hand on the knob. He turned his soft coffee brown eyes onto her. She nodded her head. He shut the door softly behind him and moved over to sit in the chair opposite her desk. He let out a deep sigh.

JJ lowered the pencil down onto the file and she leaned back in her seat. She simply looked at Spencer Reid. She felt sorry for him. He didn't really do disappointment from others well. Especially in those he looked up as his parental figures. She pushed her chair back and stood to her feet and walked around her desk. She walked over to the chair and sat down on the right side of the chair, she put her right arm around Spencer's shoulders and pulled him a little closer to her side. "What to talk about it?" She gently asked.

Spencer lifted his eyes to look up into her kind baby blue eyes, "I told Hotch that we knew about what Strauss was doing to Emily." JJ's eyes widen a little, "How did he take it?" Spencer sighed. "He asked if I made it a point to let Emily know what I knew what she had to do to Hotch."

"You know that I wouldn't ask, Spence, if it wasn't important." JJ sighed. "But if Strauss had been

manipulating Emily from the beginning, would you have gone out of your way to tell Emily what you thought of her?"

"Yes." Reid simply said without lowering his eyes from JJ's frank stare. "I wanted Emily off of the team and out of the BAU and I would have used the information to do that." He looked questioning up into JJ's eyes. "Why aren't you angry JJ? Why aren't you right now throwing me out of your office and screaming that you will never forgive me?"

"Why would I do that, Spence? I have known that you didn't like Emily Prentiss from the very beginning. When I learned about what Strauss was doing to her I wouldn't have been surprised even than if you had used the information against Emily." JJ squeezed Spencer's shoulder. "Am I happy about that, no. Am I happy that I wouldn't have tried to talk you out of it, no." She shook her head.

Spencer pulled himself out of JJ's arm and stood to his feet and walked over to where the window that faced the outside world was. He stared out side the brisk March day. He didn't notice anything that was going on outside. "I hate myself for my past feelings for Emily, I shouldn't have treated her the way I did until I got to know her better." He sighed. "I shouldn't have treated her the way I did period."

JJ stood to her feet and walked over and stood next to Spencer. She reached over and took his hand into her own. She felt for the young genius. She knew that he was feeling these feelings deeply, most people had learned these hard lessons in their teenage years and were past it in their adulthood. But Spencer Reid didn't have a typical normal childhood, how could he when he was genius and his mother was having a mental breakdown. He had to deal with his over sized brain and taking care of his mom. He didn't have time to have a childhood. He was making up for it somewhat in his adult hood.

She knew that he was still very much in love with her even after their so called date. The Red skins game that Gideon got tickets for. JJ had felt awkward throughout that evening and she very well knew that Reid felt awkward also. She knew that was Reid's first date ever – but JJ didn't have the heart to fake that the night truly was a date. She didn't want to hurt Spencer so she gently told him after the game that she thought of him as a friend – a very special and good friend. That nothing would come of his feelings for her. She gently encouraged him to get past his crush on her and find a woman who was his other half.

She had felt a tint of jealously when Lila came into the picture and Reid went to protect her full time. She just told herself that she was concerned for Spence because Lila was truly way out of his league. That Spence couldn't truly fit into her world and she couldn't fit into Spence's world. She hadn't missed the cover where Spencer was in the pool kissing Lila, she had felt heat rise to her face and she wanted to grab the magazine and ripe it to shreds, or throw it in a fire. She managed to gather control and she turned and continued to walk down the isle so she could finish her food shopping.

Than Spencer had been taken by Tobias Hankel. JJ had blamed herself for allowing Spencer to run around the barn and she remained at the front. She replayed that scene over and over in her head. She still did. How could she not. She was the senior agent at the scene and she should have stopped Spencer and kept him at her side. When she had watched the video feed of Spencer in Tobias's cabin she knew that she had loved him and had since the first moment she had meet him.

When she finally got him back in her arms in a tight hug all she could do was say she was sorry. It didn't make her feel any better when he said that it wasn't her fault. Of course it was her fault. She allowed it to happen – she should have followed him around the barn and covered him. Than both of them would have ran through the corn field and perhaps they could have gotten to Tobias when Tobias was himself and not his father, Charles.

She knew that Spencer was on drugs. How could she not. She knew the signs. But she did nothing. Yet again she failed Spencer. So how could he continue to love her? When all she did in his times of need was nothing?

Spencer suddenly turned and looked at JJ's right side of her face and he very well knew that she was thinking of all the times that she had failed him. But that was just it – JJ never failed him. But he could he make her see that. He wished Gideon was still around, than he could talk to him. But he was alone now and he had to figure this problem out on his own.

"Hotch isn't going to give up tracking Emily down," He finally said after twenty minutes of silence. "I am going to help him." He felt JJ's hand tighten in his own. "I'm going to help also." She said in a far away voice.

"I knew you would." Spencer said returning the squeeze. Still with his eyes firmly outside, "We are going have to keep this from Strauss."

"Of course." JJ said as she also stared outside. "Gracia will be able to get the information that we need."

"How when all of Emily's information is in her file." Spencer said with a slight tilt to his head.

"Emily's file is useless to us." JJ said. "Where ever Emily is now, and what ever she is running from has nothing to do with the information that the FBI has on her."

"Of course." Spencer said as he turned and faced JJ's profile, he gently reached up and touched her shoulder. She turned and faced him fully; she looked up into his brown eyes. "We are going to get Emily back home where she belongs." He reached up and gently pushed back some lose hair from JJ's right side of the face. "I promise."

"Spence." JJ whispered.

Spencer leaned forward and was about to touch JJ's lips with his own when,

KNOCK KNOCK

Spencer managed to pull away just as the door opened and Strauss walked in. He and JJ dropped hands before the section chief could notice and they stepped apart as Strauss raised a hard right eye brow in Spencer's direction. Spencer stepped forward and moved over so he could protect JJ from Strauss.

He felt JJ's hand on his back and knew that JJ could handle herself just fine with Erin Strauss so he turned his head and nodded. "Thanks for the information, JJ, I'll let the rest of the team know that you will be ready for the briefing in an hour." With one last longing look at JJ he turned and nodded at Strauss and left JJ's office, he made sure to the leave the door open.

III

"Ma'am," JJ said with a firm nod of her head as she walked over to her desk and stood behind it. She felt more comfortable behind her own desk in her own office when someone who was a high rank in the FBI chose to come and see her. She picked up the pencil and closed the file that she had left open on the desk when Spencer had come by. She never allowed her eyes to leave Strauss's face. She and Erin Strauss were not on good terms, not since JJ had the nerve to reprimand – gently of course – but reprimand Strauss on her contact at the crime site.

"Agent Jareau," Erin nodded at the young blond agent. Whom in her mind truly wasn't an agent but just a liaison officer who's sole job was to keep the press at bay. But she knew that both Hotch and Gideon believed that Jareau would make a good profile and would be an asset to the team. She disagreed and she was privately and public ally pleased that Jareau quite agreed with her. "Now that Agent Prentiss has quite, don't think that you will fill her space."

JJ blinked rapidly, "I never thought that, Ma'am." She said as she stared a little incredibly at Strauss as the older woman spoke as if she hadn't heard what she had said.

"Your job at the FBI is Press Liaison, not a profile. I very well know that Hotchner and Gideon have allowed you to join them in the field, the excuses was to allow you to have fuller information so you could be more success ful at keeping the press at bay." Strauss's eyes harden. "I'm here to inform you that this practice is now come to an end. You Agent Jareau are to remain at the police stations and when you are needed at the crime scene – your job is to be in front of the press."

"I'm sorry Ma'am but that's not really your call to make." JJ said in a firm voice. "Hotch has informed me that he went to the top of the brass and got permission to allow me at the crime scenes whenever he needed me to be."

"When did he do this," right hand clenched at her side. Strauss felt her anger boil higher than before she entered Agent Jareau's office. This meeting wasn't going the way she had planned it to. She hated losing ground, especially with someone who was on such a much lower status than herself was.

"He told me that he went to the top brass soon after he and Gideon first allowed me at the crime scenes." JJ said feeling slightly relaxed since the first time Strauss had entered her office. She had the upper hand here and both women fully knew it.

"Why haven't you taken the classes to be a profile?" Strauss asked with a raised right eye brow.

"I'm not a profile." JJ simply said.

"Aren't you?" Strauss asked.

"No." JJ said with a slight shake of her head.

Strauss remained silent as she simply studied this younger woman in front of her. She turned and left the office without a goodbye. She didn't brother to shut the door behind her. She didn't like this development, not one bit.

JJ simply had watched Strauss leave her office and suddenly felt her legs shake, she sat down and just stared at her open door.

IV

Erin walked into her office and stiffened at the sight of Aaron Hotchner in front of her desk. "I didn't call for you!" She said in a hard voice as she walked around her desk and took her seat. She looked up into Hotch's hard face.

"I just have one question for you, Erin, than I'll leave." Aaron said in a mono toneless voice.

Erin just simply lifted her right eye brow.

"Have you been manipulating Prentiss once more?" Aaron demanded.

"Why should I tell you, what I do is my own business." Erin said. "And if I have play dirty to protect the FBI than I will."

"Have you been manipulating Prentiss once more?" Aaron repeated in a hard voice.

Erin looked into Aaron's eyes. "No, I have not." She said.

Aaron nodded and turned and left the office closing the door behind him.

Erin sat back in her chair and lifted her fingers up to her chin and thought that the situation was interesting. She herself felt the lose of Emily Prentiss. Agent Prentiss was one damn good profile and she had been a true asset to the BAU team – and not just as another tool in Strauss's game of ridding herself of Aaron Hotchner and Jason Gideon. Erin had been deeply surprised when she returned to her office after a month's leave and found a note that Agent Emily Prentiss had quite the day after she left for leave.

V

JJ knocked on Hotch's closed office door and waited for him to allow her to enter. As soon as she heard his enter she opened the door and walked into the office closing the door behind her. She walked and stood at his desk.

"We are ready for the briefing, sir," JJ said with a nod. He nodded. "And sir, count on my help on bringing Emily back home where she belongs." With that she turned and left the room.

Aaron smiled a thin line and nodded his head, he stood up and followed JJ from his office and to the conference room where the rest of the team was. He looked around the table and managed to keep the frown off his face at Emily's empty chair. He walked to his own chair and sat down and listened as JJ went over the case. Life went on. As it always did. They had to find the monsters and put them away before they could get down to what truly mattered to each and everyone of them.

END CHAPTER ONE


	3. Dead Ends and Anger

'Who was I too make you wait

Just one chance

Just one breath

Just in case there's just one left'

– Far Away – Nickleback.

David watched Aaron as he tried to read through the file – the case file that they had just finished solving. They had solved it without another person dying – it was a good end too a bloody case. It was a good ending and a win for the team. They were all relieved for it – expect for Aaron.

His eyes shifted as he saw a foot shift far to the right of him. A thin curvy feminine leg – it could only belong to the only female on the plane - JJ. His eyes stayed on that leg. He could tell JJ's temper and nerves by the moment of that leg. He could tell that she wasn't all that pleased that the case had ended. He fully was well aware that she had hoped to see Emily in the town that they had just left too. But unfortunately no signs of the missing Prentiss and no clue whatsoever.

The leg shifted … so much emotion in that one shift.

He moved his eyes away from the leg – with regret – after all he was a leg man.

Sighing he leaned back in his chair and stared out of the window – it was a gorgeous sunset that they were flying in. Too bad no one – even himself was enjoying it. It was shame to the God above that his beautiful miracle was wasted on human beings whom couldn't appreciate it. Perhaps somewhere in this crazy world – Emily Prentiss was enjoying it. One could only hope and dream.

II

Reid stood to his feet and marched over and sat down across from JJ. "Stop moving that damn leg." He hissed through his teeth.

JJ looked at him in concern and somewhat in annoyance. "How dare you say that to me Spencer Reid." She hissed back. She moved her leg in quick fashion – more in annoyance of him telling her what to do than anything else. "Shit." She breathed out as she suddenly knocked her leg into the back of the chair.

Reid leaned forward and gently grabbed her leg and lifted it to rest on his knee. His hand began to massage the bruised area. "I'm sorry." He softly said with a hang dog look in his eyes.

"What got into you, Spence? It never bothered you my moving my leg before." JJ shook her head and just allowed him to minister to her leg.

"I don't like the fact that Rossi was eying you with his lazy eye." He hissed looking over her shoulder down the isle. His tongue in his check – moving side to side. It looked like he had swollen checks, first the right than the left than the right again.

"Spence." JJ softly said with a little whimper as he began to become rough on her leg.

Spencer looked down quickly at her leg and than he dropped his hands. "Oh my God., JJ, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

Leaning forward still with her leg on his lap, she reached over and took his hands and led them back to her leg. "It's quite all right." She softly said as she helped him slowly massage her leg. "Now tell me what's truly brothering you?"

"I hate the fact that Gideon is gone …. and that David Rossi has taken his place. I hate the fact that Emily is gone – running away like she has without a word. I hate the fact that Elle is gone … without a proper good bye." Spence shook his head. "I hate the fact that my mom is sick and never will be better. I hate the fact that my father had abandon me without even looking back." Swallowing hard around the lump in his throat. "I'm just sick and tired of people that I care about leave me without a chance to say good bye."

JJ moved her leg off of Reid's lap and stood to her feet. She sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Resting her head on his shoulder, "I'll never leave you, Spence. I promise you that."

"I don't believe in promises any longer." Spencer Reid quietly spat out looking out at the sunset.

III

Derek was the first one off the plane as soon as the plane had safely landed. He had to leave the stiffing air from the closed up quarters. He had to leave his team behind him. Even if it was just for a few minutes. He had to get away from his family before he went off the wall – he may turn and do something that he would regret. Perhaps say some words that could never be taken back – or do something with his fists and legs.

In all honestly if any one got in his way than they would be sorry. Derek was not going to stop and consider his actions – he was prepared to haul off and beat the crap out of the first person who came in his sight. Luckily the air strip was empty – he turned a hard right he stormed to the gate. He wasn't going back to the office – he had to work off his bent up anger and frustration. He knew the perfect place for it.

IV

Hotch followed David from the plane. He looked to the left and saw Derek just as just he slammed the gate behind him. "He'll be back. He just needs to blow up some steam." David said as he started to walk towards the airport.

Hotch stood at the end of the steps turning sideways. He waited for JJ to step off the step and he put a hand on her shoulder, "Are you all right?"

"Do you want the lie or the truth, sir?" She said in a low and stiff voice.

"Both." Aaron sighed.

"How do you think?" She suddenly demanded as she turned to face him head on. Her jaw was tight as she looked up into his dark eyes which was staring above her head. "We found nothing, sir, nothing at all."

"You expected anything different?" He stiffly asked.

"Didn't you?" She whispered leaning forward and resting her head on his chest, just above his heart. "When are we going to get even one shred of information on her?"

"Emily knew what she was doing, way before she decided to disappear." Aaron said as he felt a deep sigh rise and fall inside his chest.

Spencer said something underneath his breath as he moved passed them.

"What was that, boy?" Aaron hissed as his head whipped towards the youngest member of his team.

Spencer stopped dead in his tracks, and turned quickly around. "I said to hell with Emily."

JJ's head lifted and she quickly moved away from Aaron, as she felt his body tense up. She watched as Aaron quickly turned towards Spencer and grabbed his jacket labels. Pulling Spencer up close to his face, "If I ever hear you say that about your teammate again, Spencer Reid, than I will demote you faster than your brain waves can comprehend."

JJ moved quickly and put her hands on Hotch's right hand, "He didn't mean it, sir. Please don't hurt him. He's just angry and hurt. He's feeling betrayed by yet another person abandoning him."

"He's not a little boy anymore." Aaron hissed with a slight shake of the labels in his hands. He suddenly let the younger man go and stepped away, he tucked down his jacket. "I will not have anyone doubting that we'll find her. If you do doubt it than I will get you reassigned."

"I don't doubt it, Hotch, I'm just frustrated that we haven't gotten one single inch of a clue of her whereabouts in three months time." Spencer said as he smoothed down his own jacket. His hands shaking – in fear of Aaron's temper or anger – just both. "How many cases have we been on since she had disappeared? How many towns – cities?" Breathing through his nose, "What if Emily is no longer in the United States?"

"Than if we receive any hint – even the tinest of all hints thats Emily went beyond our nations borders – than we'll go overseas and search for her." Aaron said moving past Spencer, "There is no giving up for any of us." He walked away.

Spencer looked at JJ and she looked at him. They turned and walked close as they followed Hotch to the airport.

END CHAPTER TWO


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